I know this is a day late but, Merry Christmas 2021! I hope you all had a wonderful, restful day with family and friends yesterday.
Yesterday my family and I pretty much did nothing. It was fantastic. We had a nice breakfast in the morning which featured my great aunt’s cheesy potato casserole recipe. Since we don’t go to her house for Christmas breakfasts anymore, she shared the recipe with us and since then, we’ve been using her recipe to keep some traditions going on Christmas morning.
After our breakfast, we opened presents and while the material goods and presents really aren’t what this season and Christmas are all about, I still really enjoy getting gifts and giving gifts! We got my sister a rice cooker for her apartment and I was very excited for her to open it. She was excited to get it too. 😊 The gift I was most excited to receive was this really cozy and big, fluffy jacket from Lululemon. The security tag was still stuck in the pocket when I unwrapped it yesterday. I didn’t want to ruin the pocket and try to take out the security tag myself, so we made a trip this morning to free my jacket from the little tag. Anyway, I can wear it now and I’m obsessed. My sister and I also got the new Mario Party game for the Nintendo Switch and we have enjoyed playing that since yesterday. Mario Party is just a good classic, fun game and you really can’t go wrong with it!
We enjoyed a really yummy pot roast for dinner last night and that was pretty much it for our day! We did also take Boo on a walk yesterday and he always enjoys walks so that’s fun.
Christmas 2021- you were a good one! I hope you all have a great rest of your weekend. Take time to be with family and enjoy the rest of 2021. See you all in the new year!
Hi everyone! I hope you had a good week. I can’t believe it’s already October, my goodness! Time is just flying by. So I went home this weekend, and I have to say that for most part, I really like going home on weekends.
Of course I enjoy getting to spend time with my friends when I can, but I like being able to get away from Fort Collins for a little bit and be with my family. I also get to workout and play tennis which is great. Yes, I workout when I’m at school, but it just isn’t the same as being in the gym that I usually go to at home.
One of my neighbors at home likes to give my sister and I a lot of crap for coming home so often which I actually think is really funny. I just ignore that because I know what works for me and I know what makes me most comfortable, so I will continue with all my plans.
We usually make an effort to do something fun every weekend like this weekend, my mom and I went and got pedicures, and last weekend we got manicures. 😊 A couple of weekends ago, we went to this big festival my hometown throws every year and that was super fun. I think as long as there are things to do, it’s great. Regardless though, going home on weekends is just great and I really enjoy being able to spend more time with my family. They’re the absolute best people in the world.
Well I hope you all have a chance to get outside today if you’re in Colorado! The weather is supposed to be great today. And the leaves as starting to change (I hear the mountains are in full swing), so that’s exciting. Have a great week!
We had family in town this past week and for one last little getaway, we decided to spend a couple of days in Colorado Springs. I can’t recall ever truly vacationing in my home state, but from this experience, I found that it is so much fun. And more importantly, I got to spend time with family that I haven’t seen in over a year which was so special.
We met for dinner in Colorado Springs on Monday night. The entire trip was a celebration of my aunt and dad’s birthday. No, they are not twins, but they do have the same birthday, just three years apart. So on Monday night, we celebrated my dad’s birthday with a barbecue dinner since he couldn’t be with us on his actual birthday. A bunch of meetings and conference calls were on his birthday agenda. We also went swimming that night which was a lot of fun. I haven’t been swimming in the longest time and it was really fun to goof off for a few hours.
Tuesday, the 10th, we drove up to the Cave of the Winds. I had never been in a cave prior to this experience so I was a bit nervous about feeling claustrophobic or trapped but those feelings never came to me which was great. While I have heard that this cave system is nothing compared to the Carlsbad Caverns, I feel like it was a great introduction to what our world looks like underground and it’s pretty cool! Some of my favorite formations that we got to see were this one called E.T. and another referred to as Romeo and Juliet. I also learned that you can better remember the difference between stalactite and stalagmite by knowing that stalactites hang on TIGHT to the ceiling and you better watch your feet otherwise you stalagMIGHT stub your toe. 🙂
After Cave of the Winds, we went to the Broadmoor to walk around and eat at one of my favorite restaurants in the area, The Golden Bee. It has this really cute English pub vibe to it and the entire restaurant is bee-themed. Like even the wallpaper in the bathroom has little bees on it. My favorite part though, is getting a little bee sticker thrown at you when you first sit down at your table. This was my aunt’s choice for her birthday meal and it was so special to get to share that with her at such a fun restaurant. I had a very yummy pulled pork sandwich for lunch that day. 10/10 recommend!!
To round out August 10th, we then went to the Olympic and Paralympic Museum which I believe opened fairly recently. While the museum was incredibly cool and inspiring, it is much more interactive than I would have liked. There were a lot of kids everywhere and it was just a bit busy for my liking. I really did enjoy getting to see the Olympic torches and medals though. Very cool.
On August 11th, the next day, my dad was able to join us again and we spent the morning at Garden of the Gods. Boo, my dog, got to be there as well, and we all had a lot of fun. I think Garden of the Gods is such a breathtaking and incredible feat of nature. Also, the last time my family and I visited Garden of the Gods, I was in a cast, so this time DEFINITELY beats the last time we were there.
After our time at the Garden, we drove to Old Colorado City, which is a cute, older, little touristy town that is technically considered a part of Colorado Springs but it used to be its own town that served as a supply stop for miners headed to find gold. Around lunch time, we stopped at the Colorado Mountain Brewery where I had the most colorful and yummy salad I’ve had in a while! The service was great in addition to the food too, so if you’re looking for good food in that area, check it out.
Fully energized, we then visited the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo which is AN AMAZING ZOO OH MY GOODNESS. Right off the bat, you come to find that the animals are so so so close to you and that there’s a lot you can do to interact with them. You can feed the giraffes lettuce (which I totally paid $3 for!!), you can feed the elephants apples and celery (I think?), and much more. To be able to interact with animals like that is so special and I feel like it increases awareness about caring for our planet so we can keep amazing animals like those around for a long, long time. While feeding the giraffes was probably my favorite thing that we did, I also really enjoyed getting to see the zoo’s baby hippo. What. A. Cutie!
The next day, we brought my aunt and uncle back to my hometown and we spent that day driving for the most part but then just relaxing once we got home. Boo and Bobo were sure glad to have us back.
Friday, we visited the Denver Botanic Gardens. I have been in the past, and while I did enjoy it then, this time was even better because things were actually blooming and very much so alive. It was great to get to walk around and see all the pretty flowers and plants. My sister and I also managed to find this bamboo forest area we hadn’t seen before so that was fun to find! To end a pretty good day out, we grabbed Crumbl Cookies and celebrated my aunt and dad together. Family is so important to me and to be able to share moments like those that we did mean the world to me.
We said goodbye to my aunt and uncle yesterday morning and since then, life has been pretty quiet and chill again. It was so good to spend so much good time with my aunt and uncle again and I look forward to our next get-together. There will be lots of game nights and dance offs and stories and giggles, just like always. 🙂 Colorado Springs, thanks for a good time! Have a good week everyone!
This is definitely going to be a really different post but it’s just something I’ve been thinking about lately. Sometimes I wonder if dreams are a way for those from Heaven, our angels, to visit us. Shortly after my grandma passed away, she appeared to me in a dream and told me how proud she was of me and then she walked into light. When my grandpa passed away, I saw him and my grandma holding hands in the distance. They both waved at me and smiled from a distance.
When my sweet little boy, Marty, passed away last August, he appeared to my sister in a dream not too long after his death and he was apparently very happy and healthy looking again which made me very happy to see. I saw Marty in a dream a couple of months after he passed and there was such a feeling of warmth and comfort. It felt too real to just be something my brain was just imagining. A few weeks ago, my sister said she saw Marty again and his hair was getting fluffy and he was becoming a “wooly mammoth” again, as we used to call him. Jokingly, I told her that God needs to give Mar a haircut.
Just this past week, I had a dream that we had this little pop-up tunnel thing in my living room at home and I could see and hear movement inside so I looked to see if Boo was in there and it was Marty. His hair had been cut in the typical Schnauzer cut we always had him groomed in and his little lion poof of a tail was wagging. I remember the noises he would make when he rubbed his sweet little face into the carpet. Whenever he finished, he would always let off this really deep sigh or sneeze and I could just hear him making those noises as if he really was there. I picked Marty up out of the tunnel and squeezed him so tight. He gently licked my face like the good boy he always was and I told my mom and sister that Marty had come to visit. I let him go and he went over to get some water. He was a very thirsty boy, that’s for sure.
Dreams like that make me feel so good and honestly make me feel complete again and it’s very clear that I still really really really miss Marty. I cry a lot over Marty and maybe that’s ridiculous that it has now been over a year since he left us, but he was my first dog and will always hold the most special spot in my heart. I think about him a lot and every weekend I come home, which has basically been every weekend since school started, of course I’m excited to see Boo and spoil him for the weekend, but I miss my Mar. I wish I could still hug him in person and hang out with one of the best little guys ever.
Dreams like those I’ve kinda shared do make me wonder, are dreams a way for angels to visit us? I’ve mentioned this a bit already, but the feelings I’ve had, seeing my grandparents and Marty feel too genuine to just be my subconscious and my brain processing information. There has to be more to it. The feeling of comfort and security and warmth I get with dreams like these Without a doubt, it feels like I’m being visited by my angels.
It’s October, everyone! Life is weird but the sun still comes up every morning and fall is in full swing. Speaking of fall, my family and I made a quick little trip up to Nederland last weekend to take in the beautiful fall colors of Colorado!
We didn’t see as much color as I had hoped, but things were definitely changing especially with the aspen trees. Regardless, it was really nice to be OUTSIDE and enjoy some fresh air with my family. We even brought our dog, Boo, with us and he really seemed to enjoy the new scents and the lake. We didn’t let him go in or really even let him get near the mud, but he was veryyy interested in the water. It was really cute actually. 🙂
There’s this lake not too far into Nederland that we stopped at and walked around for some time and it was really nice. There were other families out and we all just really seemed to be happy to be doing something other than sitting or staring at a computer screen. I’m not all sure what Nederland itself has to offer, but I personally felt that going to the lake and walking around was a good enough trip.
On our way up, traffic was disastrous through Boulder and then up into the mountains. If you’re planning a trip to see the fall colors, plan on at least being in the car for an hour heading up and then an hour coming back. Obviously, things will depend on where you’re coming from, but if you’re coming from the Denver Metro area like I was, it may take you awhile. Totally worth it though!
I feel like this weekend would have also been a great weekend to go. Fall is always so pretty. I’m especially a fan of the trees with the leaves that turn red on top and then a more orangey-yellow on bottom. So pretty!! I hope you have a chance to get out this weekend, wherever you are and enjoy the pretty fall colors too. Have a good week!
This past week, my aunt and uncle visited from New Mexico and it was wonderful to see and spend time with someone other than my dad, mom, and sister for a change. While they were here, we spent some time in Idaho Springs and Georgetown and also at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. I go, you go, we all go to Argo! Let me share. 🙂
My aunt and uncle drove in Monday afternoon and that evening was a pretty chill one. We hung around the house and caught up with one another. After all, the last time we saw each other was around Thanksgiving! We usually see each other over Christmas break and sometimes spring break, but things were different this past year, and so those visits didn’t happen. Fortunately, we were able to make this work, with all of the craziness in the world, especially with this virus.
Tuesday morning, we drove up to the small town of Georgetown to catch the Georgetown Railroad Loop train ride. We were required to wear masks at the park, which was an experience in itself, but it felt wonderful to be with family and to be outside! We were the first on the train and it was fun to pick where we sat before anyone else got that chance. We chose to sit in an open top car, which was ultimately a great choice because we got to experience a little bit of a breeze and the sun which was nice. I didn’t realize how much I missed the beauty of the mountains until this train ride. Colorado is a beautiful state and I feel so lucky to call such a gorgeous state my home. Following the train ride, which was about an hour and fifteen minutes long, we stopped for lunch near a lake where some fishermen were hard at work. It was a pretty spot and the chicken croissant sandwiches were a perfect lunch that day. Side-note: If you’re ever looking for something yummy to try, I HIGHLY recommend the chicken salad and croissants from Costco. That’s a pretty good meal if you ask me.
Following lunch, we drove about twenty minutes back to Idaho Springs for a tour at the Argo Mill and Tunnel. This was a place that reallllly taught me not to judge a book by its cover. Driving in, I’m not going to lie, I thought the tour was going to be horribly boring and lame. It was actually quite the opposite. The Argo Mill was the only mill in the United States around the time of the gold rush to pump out any gold products with 95% efficiency, which is a REALLY high number, especially for its time. The Argo Mill was able to produce so much gold because they used a combination of mercury and cyanide to pump out A LOT of gold. The mill’s interior was built from the wood of EIGHT redwood trees and still stands today. Most if not all of the mill is maintained to this day and it was incredible to see how permanent, strong, and truly powerful the mill was. I can only imagine what it looked like in its glory days. While there, we had a wonderful tour guide, named Brooks, so if you ever get a chance to check out the Argo Mill and Tunnel, I recommend it and if you can get Brooks, he’s a super knowledgeable guy, both on mining and on the Argo itself!
There were two stories I really enjoyed from our time at the Argo. The first was about a teacher. At a time when the mill worked consistently, women were not allowed to work there let alone travel in the mine. There was a young woman who could not get to teach at her school without traveling through the Argo Tunnel, so she took a mine cart to then get to a platform that would take her to her classes. There was one day where her skirt got caught on a part of the wooden platform as she was headed up from the tunnel and to escape doom, she twirled out of her skirt, exposing the wire hoop under. Luckily, someone was able to lend her another dress and she got to class. Now, THAT was dedication. The second story was about a water burst at the mill. There are a series of pockets or wells near or under or around the Argo Tunnel and while working in the tunnel, it was assumed that there was twenty feet of dirt and rock between the tunnel and wells, when it was actually only ten. There was a bunch of water in the wells and the pressure was so great that it burst through the layer of rock at an insane velocity. Four men working in that area were killed. Three miles down the tunnel, near the entrance, another man was working and heard the sound of the water coming. Fortunately, this man made it out, but the water had caught up to him by the time he made it to the mouth of the tunnel. I’m horrible, haha, I don’t remember any names! The water shot out of the tunnel at such a velocity that it crossed the valley and sprayed across the valley at the same velocity and with the same insane amount of force for six days. It was apparently, A LOT OF WATER. A really, really, really, strong and supported concrete wall now holds back all of that water.
Stories like these and more are some of the things you will hear about and learn about if you take a trip up to the Argo Mill and Tunnel. While the mill may really not be the most exciting thing in the world, it was certainly interesting and a good change of pace from what I usually like to learn more about.
The next day of my aunt and uncle’s visit we went up to Rocky Mountain Arsenal and walked around Lake Mary and Lake Ladora. It was pretty, but very dry. It was also hot because we made the foolish mistake of heading out around 10 am, when the sun was already really starting to beat down. Thank goodness for water bottles though, am I right? While the views were great, and the company was even better, let’s just say that I was really happy to get out of the heat. When we got home and when my mom got home from work, we had a really good dinner and then played Just Dance together on our Nintendo Switch. It was a lot of fun.
My aunt and uncle had to head out on Thursday morning which was sad, but it had still been great that they got to come. And if you guys are reading this, we look forward to having you again and I’m so glad we got to spend a couple of days with you!!
If you get a chance to and you’re in Colorado, check out the Georgetown Loop Railroad, Argo Mill and Tunnel, or Rocky Mountain Arsenal. Or all three! Do what you please. 🙂 Have a good week and I’ll see you next Sunday!
This year was quite the year. A lot happened. A lot always happens, but I feel like this year was especially good and also especially sad and hard. With that said, I’m reflecting on 2019 and looking back on the year I had.
January: My family and I rang in the new year from our couch and I got to play a lot of tennis with my dad, sister, and friends that we’ve made at the Ranch Country Club. I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to play at such a nice facility and have courts year round to play at. Does anyone remember my shrimp project for ecology last school year? That happened in late January too. 🙂
February: I went to a dinner to celebrate my academic achievements for my freshman year. We also celebrated my mom’s birthday. Marty was starting to get pretty sick around this time but he was still a happy, wonderful dog.
March: School was definitely in full swing again and I got to celebrate my sister’s 18th birthday. Her birthday was during the week, so I didn’t get to be home for it, but we celebrated over the weekend. We also had those two big bomb cyclones in March. I got school off twice so of course I remember that! 🙂 My aunt also came to visit during spring break and we had a great time at the Denver Art Museum (at least outside it), touring Regis, and eating at BurgerFi.
April: Boo turned eight in April and I got to watch Allyson at a couple of her high school tennis matches. She was 1 singles so of course I had to be there to be her cheerleader! Allyson also had her senior prom and I had so much fun helping her get ready. She looked beautiful. 🙂
May: Bobo turned two and I finished out my first year of college. Allyson also graduated from high school and my aunt and uncle came to spend some time with us around then. We had a wonderful party for her at the Ranch and it was so good to be around so many friends and family members to celebrate her. We also sent Allyson to Hawaii then!
June: Allyson started working at Build-A-Bear, so I was one proud sister then, haha. We also spent a lot of time at the pool and on the tennis court for leagues, tournaments, and just some good family fun. My grandma also flew back to Georgia in June and my summer classes were in full swing. Woohoooo.
July: Boo rang in July with his big dental surgery. He needed a bunch of teeth extracted so that was his way to celebrate our nation’s independence. In July, I played a lot more tennis and explored Colorado with my family. We went to The Inventing Room, saved a bunny from our window well, and Allyson and I won a couple of tournaments. I also visited one of my best friends from school in California. We had a lot of fun. 🙂
August: We celebrated my dad and aunt’s birthday as well as Marty’s tenth birthday and then shortly after Marty’s birthday, he passed away. 🙁 I still miss him so much. If I’m being totally honest, I’ve struggled more than I thought I would with his loss. Beside that, I started my sophomore year of school and we also made a trip to Farmington to see my grandpa, aunt, and uncle before school started. My family and I also went and saw Anastasia in August and it was a beautiful show.
September: My dad and mom went to New Mexico for my dad’s high school reunion and while that was happening, I was in full study mode already. Organic chemistry and physics were an intense combo! Despite our distance, we also celebrated my uncle’s birthday. 🙂
October: I turned 20! We also celebrated my grandma’s birthday. My family and I went to Phil Collins’ concert when he was in town and I also competed in the Miss Colorado USA pageant.
November: My family and I went to the Denver Art Museum for a project Allyson needed to work on. Early in November, my grandpa passed away too. 🙁 It was tough and still is tough to deal with his death. Over Thanksgiving break, we went to New Mexico for Thanksgiving at my great aunt’s house and we also celebrated my grandpa’s life at his memorial service. My sister and I had the honor of speaking at it. We also visited the Salmon Ruins while in New Mexico. This year, one of the things that I truly took to heart is that family is the most important thing to me. I don’t know who I would be or where I would be without them.
December: The last few days of 2019. We spent Christmas at home this year and it was different, but it was good. We had my great aunt’s famous cheesy potatoes on Christmas morning and that was fun. Different, but fun. We also went to Gaylord, the new hotel/resort out by DIA and saw their ice display. It was really cool. I’ve enjoyed a lot of time with family while I’ve been home since winter break started and I finished strong with my sophomore season at CSU.
So that was my year! I know there are still a couple of days, but I felt like reflecting on 2019 now was a good idea. This year sucked in a lot of ways but it was also an incredible year. There will always be good and there will also always be bad. With every new year, I just remember that and see how I can improve my responses and attitude toward new challenges, obstacles, successes, and downfalls. I hope these last few days, you all spend some time reflecting on 2019 and enjoying the last days of this decade. I’m looking forward to 2020!
I won’t be posting for the next two weeks due to a study abroad I’m doing in Ecuador, so I’ll see you all in the new year when I get back. Have a great week and again, Happy New Year!
First off, I would like to say thank you to the people who have reached out to my family with their prayers and thoughts regarding my grandpa this past week. We have really appreciated your support and your kindness. This past week, my grandpa passed away, and it has put a damper on the family that’s for sure. I don’t want to feel sad but I know that it’s okay too. Regardless of that, I’ve decided to dedicate this post to him and remember my grandpa for the wonderful, incredible husband, father, son, friend, teacher, principal, and grandpa he was.
We have pictures of my grandma and grandpa coming to visit my home when I was very little. I don’t remember much from their visits to my hometown, but I very faintly remember him helping build a pink and purple tricycle that I got for my birthday one year. Without him, who knows if I would’ve even been riding a bike today! Haha, I kid, I kid. I remember them being in Colorado for little league softball and baseball games. It was so cool to have my grandparents there watching.
I remember catching grasshoppers with my grandpa when I was little too. We went hunting for those quick, rascally little guys in his backyard in the place where they grew corn. That was a lot of fun. When I actually caught one, I went in to show my grandpa and he was asleep! How was I supposed to prove anything now?
My sister and I both recalled this memory not too long ago. There was a parade in Farmington one time when we were there and my grandpa insisted that him and Grandma take us to Wendy’s for food. Allyson and I were definitely still planning on getting food from the kids’ menu but Grandpa decided that Allyson and I were moving up in the world and upgraded us both to full size meals. As a 10 year old, a full size burger with fries and a large soda was a DREAM COME TRUE. He told us not to tell our parents about that, but I guess the secret is out now!
Puzzles were a big thing we would do together. My aunt would always find the most beautiful puzzles for us to do when we came to visit the whole gang over Thanksgiving and Christmas break. My sister and I would work with our grandpa to put together the massive puzzles. I remember there was one time where the three of us stayed up til like 12:30 am to finish a puzzle one time. Grandpa was feeling dedicated on that one! It sure turned out pretty too.
My sister and I were also known as my grandpa’s little tree monkeys. He has a couple of trees in his backyard and Allyson and I decided we were going to climb them one summer. From then on, we were the tree monkeys. We helped get the peaches down that way too. He always had a lot of good food come out of his garden.
Just this past Christmas, I’ll never forget how funny it was when we pulled out all these funny Christmas dress-up prop things and my grandpa thought it was the most hilarious thing in the world. I know I thought it was pretty funny too! He always had the warmest and best laugh. He was good at making people smile.
My grandpa was always such a grateful person too. Every meal we had together, he would mention how great and pretty all the food was. It was always really good. I loved his outlook on life. He was always so thankful and I hope that I can be half of what he was.
Those we love don’t go away. They walk beside us every day. Unseen, unheard but always near; still loved, still missed, and very dear.
Unknown
Every visit with him in New Mexico was a gift and every little bit of time together was wonderful. Even if we had an hour to Skype with him while my aunt and uncle were in Farmington, it was time well spent. Even if it was a quick weekend trip, my grandpa was a wonderful, gracious host and we loved every minute we had with him and family. Every Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, and even a couple of Independence Days were well-spent with my grandpa. Every ride up to the airport, every tour of Tibbetts Middle School (with the 360 degree view on the top floor), and every story that was told or wisdom that was shared was a gift. I wouldn’t trade anything in the world for my time with him.
My grandpa was a wonderful man with such a good, caring heart and I know that a lot of people will miss him. I sure do! He always wanted to go to Colorado State University to go to vet school, and while that’s not my aspiration in life, I still feel like I carry a piece of him with me while I’m here at school. He will always be an honorary ram in my books.
Heaven gained one heck of an angel last weekend. Please say hi to Grandma, Abner, Peppy, and Marty for me, ok, Grandpa? I love you very much.
Have a good week everyone and I’ll see you next Sunday.
This will most definitely be one of the hardest posts I will ever have to make. This past week, one of my best friends passed away. My sweet, little boy Marty made his trip to Heaven.
It’s hard to imagine that he’s actually gone and it’s tough to think that there is now a period of my life where he won’t physically be here. I won’t be able to go home to him on weekends and be greeted by his cheerful bark and wagging tail. I won’t be able to take him on walks anymore or play with his little stuffed dragon or other toys anymore. It honestly feels like I’ve lost a brother. It feels like a little bit of me is gone. This is hard…
I remember the day we went and picked up our sweet little angel. It was October 26, 2009, six days after my tenth birthday. I remember telling my teacher at the time that I would be missing school on Friday to go pick up my brand new puppy. She was jealous. We left and stayed in Colorado Springs that night and I remember looking out the window of the hotel thinking, “We’re coming Marty. I can’t wait to meet you.”
When we arrived at Sunset Dachshunds, the place we picked him up from, he was wearing the cutest little black and orange bow to celebrate Halloween coming up and his little tail was wagging about a million miles an hour. He cried a bit on the way with us to our grandpa’s house, but I think he knew that he had just become a member of a family that would love him endlessly.
During his first few months at home with us, I remember crying while I was on my way to school because it was snowing so much and we didn’t get a snow day. I just wanted to spend the day with my new puppy. We got to school and all of the teachers were standing outside the building as the snow blew around and they told us, “Go home. No school today!” My sister and I were thrilled. When we came home to him, he was attempting to crawl over the barricade we had set up for him. He was so dang cute. We spent that wonderful snow day with our sweet little boy and I will always cherish the pictures my family took that day.
He was such a smart pup. He could say “I love you, Inna” to my mom. He could sit, sit pretty, shake, and even though he was a bit crazy on walks, he was always such a well-behaved dog. He was great with people, sometimes not so much with dogs, but he was still a good boy and would listen to us when we told him to stop doing whatever he was doing.
I can’t figure out why the pictures keep flipping on me, but still, enjoy this one with a massive cucumber Mar managed to pull.
And when we got Boo, I remember how excited Mar was to be a big brother. He was always clearly an alpha, but he became such a leader and role model to Boo, once Boo joined the Horvath family. Any time Boo barked too much, Mar was there to snap at him and put Boo back in line. Any time Boo was a bit too far ahead of Marty during walks, Marty would bark at Boo to get to his side or stay behind him. Anytime Boo would even just want to play, Marty would always challenge him. Marty was always so good to Boo and such a wonderful companion to him. I can’t imagine how Boo is handling this. Or does he really even understand? From what I’ve been told, on Marty’s last day on Earth, Boo spent a lot of time licking him and sticking to his side. I feel like dogs have a way of knowing these things. I just want to be there as much as I can for Boo now.
Despite all of the emergency visits to the vet, Marty was still a pleasure to have around. There was one time where he must have eaten a chicken strip or something, and he managed to get a HUGE abscess in his mouth. At the ER, they told us Mar had cancer, but we knew that wasn’t the case. The abscess popped and he ended up being just fine. Another time, he had an allergic reaction to a rabies shot and we made another trip to the ER for him. And then when we found out he had that stupid bladder cancer, every trip to the vet was a journey, but the time spent with him was not wasted and not under appreciated.
I wish that I had been there for him with his last breaths but maybe it’s for the better that I was at school when Marty moved on. I told him that I would see him in two weeks after first leaving for school and it really sucks that I wasn’t there for him, but I’m happy to know that he’s in a better place and that the pain and suffering is over.
I’m thankful to my parents for not listening to the vets, saying that Marty only had six months to live. He lived an entire freaking year after the vets discovered the cancerous cells in his bladder, and he lived a good year. He got to be with family until the end.
So Marty, thank you for all the tail wags and kisses and play time and snuggles. Thank you for all the walks and car rides. Thank you for being a little ray of sunshine even when days were rough. You may have hated bath time but you were always the cutest little thing when you acted all grumpy under your blankets, even though I wasn’t touching you. Thank you for blessing my life with your wonderful existence and all of the memories. You will forever be a part of our little core four and be my best friend, my bubba, my little prince, and now my angel. I love you endlessly, Marty. ?
First of all, I’d just like to say, HAPPY EASTER! Today is a beautiful, wonderful day and I hope you’re all spending time with family and friends, having a good time. This weekend has been another great weekend for me with family and it became a whole lot more interesting with the two pieces of plastic that I’m wearing in my mouth for the next three months. I got Invisalign!
Saturday morning, one of the dentists my mom works with was willing to help my mom out and together, they applied these little buttons to my teeth that will help move my teeth around along with the retainers. In total, I have 14 sets of retainers that I will be changing every ten days and in total, the process should take three months, which is super cool.
I had braces in second grade for about six months and then again in sixth grade for a year. Technically, I have a retainer that I’m supposed to be wearing nightly to prevent my teeth from shifting around so much, but it messes with my bite, so here we are with the Invisalign. That’s going to hopefully adjust the minor shifting that my teeth have done and give me a new retainer that doesn’t mess up my bite in the end.
It’s been weird adjusting to the Invisalign (well it’s only been a day, but still) in the sense that I have to take the retainer out and then put it back in after eating or drinking liquids that aren’t water. I’ve always taken pretty decent care of my teeth, but I feel like I’m going to go into hyper-cleaning mode as a result of this, which isn’t a bad thing. Because I want to eventually go into orthodontics, it has been interesting to see the process for Invisalign so far and be able to experience some of the technology that I will be working with some day in addition to regular braces that most people associate with orthodontists.
Now I need to go plan a quick little surprise Easter egg hunt for my sister before I head back up to Fort Collins… Thanks for being here on this Easter Sunday! I hope you all have a wonderful rest of this wonderful holiday and that you have a great week. See you next Sunday!
